


Ties That Bind

by shinosnipslip



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alcohol, Drinking, M/M, Swearing, yohei's just a mess and he's a dumbass and stubborn pls just enjoy his idiocy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-07-21 04:14:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19995691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinosnipslip/pseuds/shinosnipslip
Summary: Yohei, the younger twin brother of the Leaf’s Copy Cat Ninja Kakashi Hatake, finds himself at a pivotal turn in his life - he now has more than himself to think about and to care for. His life takes such a sharp turn, he finds himself at a loss for the first time, yet, with all these changes, he’s thankful that some things remain the same. The more he finds he’s getting pushed into roles he’s scared of running, the more and more he clings to his past relationships, no matter how much they dig into the memories he’d rather lay to rest.





	1. Oh, Fuck

"You awake?" Kakashi's voice was muffled under his mask.

"I might be..." Yohei's face was pressed into his pillow. His room was warm and stuffy, blankets thrown across his body and the bed. Drawers were thrown out in fits of anger. The blinds were closed with tiny slits to allow the sun through. The only things that remained intact were the picture of his own team from when he was a genin, and a picture of him, Kakashi and their father. 

"Good; open your windows and clean up," Kakashi shifted in his position. "It stinks in here."

"'Kay..." Yohei grumbled. "Where are you going...?" It wasn't until he turned around that his brother was gone. Groaning, he forced himself out of bed, rolling would be the better word.

Once he landed, his left leg was still on the bed, tangled in the sheets. His arms sprawled, and eyes all but glaring at the ceiling. Smacking his lips, his eyes surveyed the damage he caused last night. His head was pounding — just how much had he to drink? How mad did he get...?

He saw the mirror smashed again, drawers pulled out, papers scattered and some ripped. Bottles of sake and whiskey littered the room. He must have come home really late... Yelling... _Ugh, I'm such an idiot..._

It felt as if seasons had passed by the time his room was cleaned. Save for the smell, which could be countered by literally anything else, his room was clean. It was odd; normally Kakashi wouldn't care about Yohei's messy room, however he would care about the smell. The mess, not as much.

He looked at his room, suddenly so clean that it felt revolting. Yohei let out a scoff, grabbing clean clothes and heading for the shower.

The hot water felt almost relieving, feeling unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable. He stood there, letting the water smack his back, hearing the water stream from the shower cap. He'd go for a bath, but in the end, this was better. He was able to move, he was able to let feeling back into his legs.

A loud knock at the bathroom door startled him, causing him to drop the soap bar. The simple 'clang' of it startled him further. "Fucking, what do you want?"

"Didn't know you were actually out of bed." Kakashi sounded surprised.

"Don't sound so surprised, Kashi..." Yohei’s voice rang out barely louder than a whisper. He knew he was less than mentally prepared for doing anything else other than getting out of bed, as of late. He was trying, but it was difficult some days.

"What?" 

Yohei turned the water off, hearing the last few droplets hit the ground, the soft repetition soothing to his ears. "I said to not sound so surprised." He spoke up. “I have legs, y’know.”

“Yes, I know that.” Kakashi let out a sigh, already annoyed with his twin brother’s attitude. While they are twins, Yohei’s personality was different from Kakashi’s. “I have a new team, would you mind showing up so I can introduce them to you?”

“We’ll see… I won’t know if I’ll have a mission or not.” Yohei answered, shaking his hair free of water. He was a doctor, not a jounin instructor. He couldn’t play team leader for a bunch of twelve-year-old’s even if he wanted to. “You’re doing that training exercise thing tomorrow?”

“With the bells? Yeah. Just want to see how well they do.” Kakashi’s answer was predictable. _He’s said that time and again, and never once has he passed a group._

“I hope you pass this group, brother.” Yohei told him, pulling his clothes back on. Once they were on, Yohei opened the door, shaking his hair free of water as he walked past Kakashi. He could just barely see the faded tattoo of the Anbu marking on Kakashi’s left bicep. “What do you plan on doing the rest of the day?”

“I don’t know. Grab some groceries, maybe. Have a small training session with Gai,” Kakashi shrugged, following his brother into the kitchen. “Yell in your ear!”

Yohei’s head rang, feeling as if drums were going off next to him. “I’ll murder you, one day…”

Kakashi laughed. “Ah, I know you won’t,” He gently prodded his twin with his elbow. “You love me too much.”

“And I wonder why, most days.” Yohei allowed a grin to creep up in his lips, a rare sight as of late. “Coffee, or no?”

“No,” Kakashi let out a tired sigh. “I’m not the one with a hangover.”

“When do you plan on meeting this team?” Yohei asked him. He knew that his brother had a horrible sense of time and was horribly laid-back. It took a bit to build up his brother’s temper, and as such, he was always relaxed, and it took a toll on his “time telling skills” and “time management”.

“I don’t know,” Kakashi let out a groan as he rose his arms above his head, stretching. “A few hours?”

“Right…” Yohei let out a yawn, that said yawn sending pulses through his temples. He let out a groan as he stumbled back to his room. “Talk in a while, Kashi – nii…”

He felt the bitterness of the coffee touch his lips, down his throat once – maybe twice – before his face hit the pillow for a second time. _I forgot to clean the sheets…_ It smelled like the alcohol from the previous night. His coat hung up neatly, stark white and completely clean. It was possibly the most comfortable thing he’s ever worn. A lot of memories were woven in those threads, but he wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Images of his team scattered the ground in puddles of dark crimson. A constant reminder that no matter what, he wasn’t able to save his first team under his command. Upon taking their masks off, his genin team was there. _Not fast enough! You were too slow!_ One shouted, his voice echoing through Yohei’s head. _You’re useless! Everyone dies around you!!_ A second bullied. She wasn’t wrong, yet Yohei was doing everything to make sure his brother didn’t die, didn’t get wounded. _My only regret is that I allowed you in the field._ A third – and seemingly final – voice spat out her regrets. However, a soft, fourth voice whispered out to him, so soft that he had to strain to hear him. _Don’t listen to them…_

The feeling of his lips smacking slowly woke him up a second time. The fact that his sleep schedule was just as messed up as his brother’s time management wasn’t a good thing. It didn’t take him long to realise his heart was racing. He hadn’t had a nightmare like that in a while, and he had no idea what triggered it.

He sat on the edge of his bed, head hanging in his hands. Yohei’s headache was gone – that was great, but he had reason to be worried. Whenever he had a nightmare, it meant something was going to happen – something soon. He just didn’t know who it was going to happen to – or literally anything else, only that something was going to happen. Yohei trusted his gut.

“Bah, it doesn’t matter,” Glancing at his clock, he realised he slept in longer than what he wanted to and was expecting his brother to come and wake him any moment, if he hadn’t tried to already.

A series of knocks startled him out of the bed. “Yohei sensei!” A student shouted for him.

“Whatever the matter is, can it wait a few?”

He heard the door open and shut as the person walked in, demanding to see Yohei, no matter the state of undress he was in. “Sorry to bother you, sensei, but I was just wondering if you got the letter addressed to you at the clinic yet.” His sole remaining student, Kaito, asked him, seemingly unfazed by Yohei’s wild bed head.

 _Is that why I got drunk? What the hell was in that letter?_ Yohei frowned as he glanced around the room for the letter. “I can’t remember, actually.” His throat seemed itchy as he spoke, his own voice grating on his nerves.

He could hear Kaito’s scoff, no matter how soft it was. “Yeah, you picked it up yesterday and almost _sneered_ at it. Sensei, your sneer can kill a person; I wouldn’t have been surprised if the paper crumpled up in fear.”

“Kaito, what was so important that you needed to barge into my home and wake me up and see me in this hung-over state I am now…?” Yohei was quickly growing tired of this situation.

“Train me in more medical ninjutsu.” Kaito all but begged.

“I can’t-”

“Sensei, your healing jutsu is second to none! Rivaling that of Lady Tsunade! Please! Train me!”

“Kaito, I’m not-”

“Yohei sensei, I want to be just like you. I want to be as well-versed in medicine as you are. So that if I ever have a team and something happens and-”

“So, you resent me for it…” Yohei’s voice had grown despondent. Kaito was his prized student – the only one in all of Yohei’s teams that had survived a fatal attack. He’d done everything to keep him alive and unhurt – just like his brother.

“N-No, all I meant was that if something _does_ happen, maybe I can save more than one person at a time. That maybe I can save everyone, make sure no one dies.”

“You’d be better off learning from Tsunade-sama…” Yohei grumbled, grabbing a clean shirt. He didn’t want Kaito to leave where Yohei couldn’t follow, so that he could protect his student, but if the young chuunin wished to save everyone, he was better off learning from the Slug Princess.

“At least you’re not a dead beat like she is!” Kaito snapped, his usual calm demeanor vanishing in an instant. His eyes widened in shock at what he shouted at his teacher. “Sorry.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Yohei groaned as he stood. “Do you know where I put that letter?”

“No idea, but I can help you look?”

“That’s great, I know it’ll annoy me unless I find it. Thanks, kid.” Yohei thanked his student, beginning to look around his messy room. Kaito walked out, beginning his own search in the kitchen.

Once, Yohei’s room had been clean. Now, it was as if a bunch of children ran through his room, tearing things out of drawers, clothes thrown haphazardly across the room, papers tossed about, some papers in some impossible-to-land areas. Yohei had created a small pile of papers in front of him, looking through recent letters or missives, memos, anything. He simply couldn’t remember where he’d left his letter.

_Ugh, why is this letter so damned important?! Why am I wanting to pull out my hair to see what the hell is on this thing?_

“Find it yet?” Yohei shouted out to Kaito, hoping he’d found it.

Kaito walked back, a pile of letters resting in his arms. “I hope you don’t mind, but I started looking through this pile of letters.”

“Nah, I don’t mind. I take it you haven’t found it yet?” Yohei felt as if he already knew what his student was going to say.

“I’m sorry, sensei, but no.” Kaito sighed. “Not yet. If you want, I could go check the clinic, see if you left it in your office?”

“No, don’t worry about it, kid.” Yohei sighed, gathering up all the papers into a pile. Placing them on his dresser, he grabbed the papers out of Kaito’s hands, putting them with the rest and walking the kid out. “It’ll show.”

“Hopefully sooner, rather than later.” Kaito scoffed, his eyes plastered on the ground in front of him as he walked down the steps to the street, careful not to slip and trip. “Right, I’m off! See you later, sensei!” Katio ran off, waving as he made his way to his next destination.

 _Yeah…_ Yohei sighed, walking back into the house. Maybe searching the pantry…

* * *

Papers were sprawled out across the sitting room, Yohei in the middle of all this mess, struggling to keep his eyes open. It was late, and the only light he had was the dim overhead light, flickering every ten seconds.

It was a struggle to keep his eyes open, to move his arms, _hell_ to breathe.

“Oi, isn’t it possible you tossed it out in that drunken rage?” His summoning, Warai, asked him. The snowy tiger rested on the couch Yohei tried so hard to keep ‘tiger fur free’.

“Possibly, but…” Yohei groaned as he sat up, reaching for another letter. This one had hastily written letters on it, written as if the person writing it was in a hurry. “Heh, this is from, like, ten years ago.” Yohei’s already tired eyes skimmed the page. He wrote it himself, a letter to his future self. “ _Hey, dumbass, if you’re still treating Kakashi like the idiot he is, I’ll jump forward in time and kick your ass myself. Or my ass. I don’t know._ ” Yohei read aloud, listening to Warai’s scoff. _“You know full well that moron went through the same shit you did, perhaps worse. And if, by Kami, you make him feel worse, you’ve not healed the one person you’ve sworn to protect. You’ve all but killed them.”_

“You’re a little harsh on yourself, aren’t you?” Warai asked, stretching his long, snowy-white legs.

“Sometimes, it’ll be like that.” Yohei smirked at himself as he folded the letter. _Hrn… I haven’t really changed, have I…?_ Reaching for another letter, he noticed there was no return address, that the addressee was “Mister Abandonment” instead of his name. Somehow, he felt as if he picked up the right letter.

Just as he was to open it, the door slid open instead. “Man, you look drained. Also, what’s with the letters and papers across the place?” Kakashi asked, taking his shoes off. “What’s that?” He asked, pointing to the letter in Yohei’s hand.

“I think it’s the reason why I got so drunk last night.” Yohei sighed as he opened it. His gut told him he wouldn’t like what was in this letter.

_“Mister Abandonment._

_Surprised? You’d get a letter like this eventually, you knew this. I’m more surprised you didn’t talk to me after what we did together. You might not have, but I certainly enjoyed it. I didn’t enjoy what happened after, so I’m sending these ungrateful brats over to you. Maybe you’ll get a better kick out of them than what I ever could._

_Enjoy your pathetic look-a-likes, bastard.”_

Yohei let out a sigh as that night came running back to him.

“Well? What did the letter say?” Kakashi pressed.

_I don’t remember if I liked it or not… I would remember if I did. Ugh…_

Yohei grunted as he held up the letter for his older brother to read. He had no idea how to do this! What do they like, what do they _look_ like? What’s their favourite food?

He could hear Kakashi’s scoff, followed by a soft groan.

“I can’t be a dad, Kakashi… I can barely take care of myself…” Yohei groaned. He dragged his hands through his hair, ripping out the bun he had haphazardly put up. His hair hung around his shoulders, a messy mop and a pathetic excuse for hair at the moment.

“I could help you.” His brother offered.

 _Wait…_ He re-examined the letter with a sharp eye. She’s certainly not happy to have had these kids, and it looks like she took her frustrations out on them. _That’s hardly their fault…_ “Kakashi…” Yohei let out a ghost of a whisper. “This letter. She’s not happy…”

“Obviously,”

“That’s not what I mean, you idiot! Take another look!” He shoved the letter into Kakashi’s face, not having a clue as to who these kids are, but already fearing for them. He watched Kakashi’s eye as he looked over the messy lettering on the page once more. “They’re…”

“Yeah,” Yohei forced out a sigh. “Even if I _am_ their dad, I wouldn’t be able to get them to trust me.”

“You’re not the mother,” Kakashi tried reassuring his brother.

“Maybe not, but what if I neglect them? What if I can’t properly provide for them…? What if I can’t get what they want on their birthdays, telling them ‘Sorry, I’m busy with work’?” Yohei’s mind went into overdrive, only for him to snap and grab Kakashi by his collar at his twin’s chortling, shaking him. “What’s so funny?! This is your family too!!”

“Not ten minutes ago, you were so opposed to these kids!”

“I still am, you moron!!!” Yohei shouted again. He released his hold on his brother’s collar, forcing a sigh through his already angry lips. “But they need a home, and a parent.”

“Hopefully two parents if you manage to get that stick out of your ass and talk to Genma.”

“Shut your hole!!!” Yohei snapped once more, grabbing a spare pillow and throwing it at his brother, missing horribly.

Yohei was thrown out of his rage when he heard that dreadful knock on his door. _It’s them…_

“Good luck, Yoyo.” Kakashi saluted his twin as he teleported to a different part of the village, calling him by his nickname he’d carried since childhood.

_Oh… Fuck…_

His hand reached for the doorknob, opening the door slowly as if his life were to end the moment the door opened.

On the other side of the door he saw twins, fraternal as they may be. The boy had short, shaved grey hair, and black eyes as dark as the void itself. Freckles dashed across his nose, a spark of tamed mischief in his eyes. A simple hoop earing looped through his left ear. The girl had long, dark blue hair, a single braid tied around a ponytail, her eyes black and cheerful, the same set of freckles, her own ears holding a simple pair of faux diamond studs. She bounced on her feet, eager to greet the father she never thought she’d had.

“Hi! I’m Fumi, and this is Sakane! You’re Yohei-san, right?”

Yohei’s heart was in his throat. He wasn’t ready to be a dad! There was no way he’d be able to take care of them! Looking at his children, he forced himself to come to a decision he didn't know he wouldn't regret.

_Oh, fuck._


	2. You're my dad!!! (Boogie Woogie Woogie!)

“Smells like dog,” Sakane spoke up.

“This isn’t my house,” Yohei tried thinking of an excuse, true as it may be. His own was being renovated after the base of the building suffered from age. “M-My brother’s dogs tend to laze about in here.”

“Who’s our uncle?” Fumi asked, eager to learn about her new family.

“K-Kakashi.” Yohei couldn’t help his stuttering. “If it makes you guys more comfortable, you can call him Uncle Dog Breath.”

Sakane let out a few laughs at that, making his way into Kakashi’s kitchen. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“Stop it, Saki!”

“I said don’t call me that!” Sakane countered.

Immediately, he could see the similarities between him and Kakashi. Yohei cleared his throat. “S-So, who’s the older of you two?”

"I am,” Sakane spoke. “But Fumi’s more responsible.”

Fumi’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at her father. “Wait… You thought we would be mad with you?”

“Honestly?” Yohei started, his breath catching in his throat and forcing it out of his mouth. “Yeah. I-I didn’t even know you kids had been born. She never exactly sent a letter.”

“Sounds just like her…” Sakane’s tone had grown dark and resentful. “She hated us, and she blamed us for being born. Like it was our fault.”

Yohei grumbled beneath his breath. “It __is__ partially my fault too, however. I didn’t exactly come crawling back after that night to check up.”

“We heard,” Sakane continued. “But don’t start thinking it’s your fault, that’s how you get sucked into her web. I’ve got her all figured out, even if Fumi refuses to see my side.” Sakane raised his hand to the girl who had taken residence on Kakashi’s couch. She must have been exhausted, as she had fallen fast asleep. Yohei reached over, grabbing a spare blanket and draped it over her to keep her warm.

“See? Even our dearest mother would refuse to do that.” Sakane shook his head. “You’re a better parent than she is already.”

“I’m sorry.” Yohei blurted. He felt this immeasurable guilt pressing down on his shoulders. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m sorry I didn’t check up on her. I’m sorry I didn’t know you guys even __existed__.”

Sakane was silent, unable to find a way to accept the apology that was unnecessary. He forced the mood lighter. “Whelp! I’m gonna go find Naruto or Kiba. Be back soon, dad.”

 _Ah. Yeah,_ I’m _the dad now…_

* * *

“Sakane likes… Cold drinks and earrings…” Yohei thought aloud at his clinic. “Fumi likes necklaces and lace…” __Particularly__ my __necklaces…__

“What’cha workin’ on?” Genma asked, sauntering over to where Yohei sat.

“Lists… For the kids’ birthday.” Yohei groaned. “It’s not for a while, but you know me…”

“So, of the two of you, __you’re__ the one who get’s nailed with kids?” Genma’s question was sarcastic as he sat down across from him.

“It’s a miracle Bakashi doesn’t have kids already.” Yohei grunted, looking at the jounin in front of him. “What are you even doing here? I have work to do and you probably have exams to prepare for.”

“That’s not for another few months. Seriously, you need to learn how to relax a bit, Yoyo.” Genma joked, eliciting a sigh from Yohei’s lips.

“Both you and Kakashi say that. I can’t – I’ve got _kids _,__ I’ve got a student who wants to learn from me, I’ve got _you_ to deal with…”

Genma hummed. “What about me…?” His gaze went heavy and hard on Yohei, daring him to put his feelings to word.

“Oh, c’mon, you can’t be _that_ dense.” Yohei sighed, rolling his eyes. Despite being frustrated with the man, he was certain Genma could hear his heart hammering in his chest at his ex’s close proximity. Having Genma here brought up unresolved things, bringing up the reasons why or how they split up in the first place. It was easy to fall back into the comfortable rhythm between the two of them, comfortable to fall back into easy make out sessions, heated and tight-around-the-pants sessions, comfortable to fall back into friendly and saucy banter. _Too_ easy and _too_ comfortable. Work had torn them apart and Yohei wasn’t sure if trying it again was the right thing.

“ _I’m_ not, but maybe you are.” Genma teased, making sure Yohei’s attention was on his hips as he walked away.

Yohei stood, his actions like a cat prowling after a mouse, slow, steady, cautious. Taking long strides to the jounin, his hands grabbed at Genma’s arms, lightly pushing him against the wall, his breath hot on Genma’s neck as his lips attacked.

“The doctor will see you now…” Genma chuckled.

Yohei groaned, ceasing his kisses for a moment to take in that _ridiculous_ and cliché phrase. “You’re horrible…”

“You love it…” Genma muttered, nipping at Yohei’s ear.

He reached up, undoing the bun Yohei had tied his hair into. Genma ran his fingers through Yohei’s thick hair as he twisted around, pressing Yohei against the wall, lips landing on lips, gasps escaping mouths, quiet groans and grunts the only sounds in the Hatake’s office. Genma’s hands trailed down to Yohei’s hips, thumbs rubbing bare skin.

Yohei let out a silent gasp, gently pushing Genma away as he noticed how far he’d gotten with the jounin. “No… No, we can’t…”

Genma was silent, listening to what his ex had to say.

“We broke up the first time because we couldn’t do this… We can’t be doing it again…” Yohei whispered, slipping away from Genma’s arms. He paced his office, biting his thumb.

“Or…” Genma muttered, his voice still heavy and husky. “Hear me out, we just stay as friends with benefits…?”

Yohei stared at the man, slight frown creasing his brows as he considered it. He missed Genma, and— “No. No, because what if…”

Genma sighed. “You’re overthinking again.” A grin crept up on his lips.

“What if we do this… Friends with benefits thing and… And we fall back into what we were, only to fall out of it again…? I can’t put you through that, I can’t put my kids through that, I can’t do this…” Yohei’s whisper was barely louder that the low hum of energy running through the building. “What if my job and position come into—”

“Quit.” Genma’s one worded answer stunned Yohei to silence. “When we were together, the thing that drew us apart was your job.”

Yohei was considering it, however his lips let out a soft “No.”

Genma’s smile was as observant and gentle as it always had been. “Alright. Take your time. You’ll know where to find me.”

Yohei watched as Genma sauntered out of the office, sitting back down at his desk.

Genma offered him a way out, an alternative. Yohei was a doctor first and foremost, and even if he’d quit his job, he could still be a medic out on the battlefield. At worst, he’d have to lead a team; at best, he’d work alone or with Kaito and be a field medic. He’d have more time to himself, his kids, and maybe Genma, but…

“Sensei!” Kaito ran in, shouting his title. “Sorry I’m so late, sensei! I had to make sure Sakane and Fumi were tucked in.”

“They give you too much…” Yohei stopped. _This is what Genma was talking about…_ “I’m quitting.”

“What…?” Kaito whispered.

“I never see my kids; I’m never home; _I can’t even tuck my own children in to their beds._ ” Yohei reiterated. He finally saw what Genma was getting at, from four years ago to now.

“B-But sensei, you’re one of the best doctors we have here, second to Lady Tsunade!”

“I might be that, but I… Kaito, I want to see my kids. I’m finally in their lives after more than ten years; I can’t abandon them when they don’t have a mother.” Yohei told his student. “Maybe if you have a family, you’ll understand.”

Kaito was silent, processing what his teacher had said. “Are… Are you sure this is what _you_ want to do…? Like, it seems so—”

“It is, Kaito. This job has ruined my past relationships, and it’s now stopping me from seeing Sakane and Fumi and hanging out with friends.”

“And getting drunk…” Kaito grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Once you’ve lived through what I’ve lived through, maybe you’d get it…” Yohei glared at Kaito, knowing he’d just driven a wedge between them. Kaito knew __exactly__ what he and Kakashi had lived through; the loss of their dad, both of their teams, the continual loss of his students, and the urge to keep as many people alive to keep the past from repeating itself.

“Maybe I have, and maybe I _do_ know what you’ve—”

“You’re dismissed. I’ll see you later.” Yohei focused on the papers and reports in front of him.

Kaito scoffed as he marched out of Yohei’s office, slamming the door behind him. The Hatake knew he was destroying his friendship he had with Kaito, but the kid had a knack for butting in when he should have left it well enough alone.

His anger was shown through his report, angry smudges made their way down the page, gruesome marks and lines looked scary to look at, to read over. Forcing a sigh out of his lips, he leaned back. Grabbing some new paper, he wrote out his resignation letter. He might have been the one with the most seniority in this hospital, but he still had to hand his resignation off to the top manager. He wrote it as formally as was possible, telling the manager that it was just becoming too detrimental to his personal life, and now that he had kids, he had to focus more on their health and happiness, and actually _being_ a dad.

“I am their dad…” Yohei whispered as he leaned back in his chair. A mixture of groan and sigh escaped his lips, the palms of his hands pressing against his eyes. “I’m a dad… I have children…” He repeated those phrases to help it sink in, to try and process it faster. He’d been living with Sakane and Fumi for a week and it’s still not processed fully.

“Something wrong, Hatake?” A coworker asked him. She must have heard Yohei’s muttering and his hands on his eyes.

“Nah, I’m good.” Yohei answered. “Just… Processing the fact that I have kids…”

She gasped, all but running over to Yohei’s office. “I didn’t know you had kids!!”

“Until a week ago, neither did I.” Yohei admitted, not pleased by her close proximity. He leaned back a bit, making sure he still had his own personal space. “Good little shits, though…”

“What about their mother?”

Yohei stuttered. “I… I-I don’t…”

“Oh, you adopted! How sweet…” She gushed, hands lacing in front of her.

“I didn’t…”

“You didn’t adopt?”

Yohei thought about the right way to phrase this to get her off his case. “The mother sent them too me to get me to… connect with them.”

“Oooh, you sly dog…” She winked.

“It’s not what you – ugh, get back to work…” Yohei pressed his face into his crossed arms on the table.

She bowed as she walked away. “Whatever you say, Doctor.”

* * *

“Dad!!” Fumi ran at Yohei as he walked in, colliding in a hug. “You’re home early!”

“Hey, kiddo. Where’s your brother?” He asked, hugging her back. _Man, it’s so nice coming home to hugs _…__

“With Naruto! Why are you home early?” Her voice was as cheerful as ever.

“Don’t tell Saki about this, but I quit my job.” He admitted.

“You did?” Her eyes were unwavering, taking in everything her father said. “Why?” Her voice wasn’t condescending but filled with genuine curiosity.

“I didn’t get to spend time with my family.” He gushed – _gushed_ \- and ruffled her long hair. “I didn’t get any sleep, I was always awake, and I just wasn’t happy.”

“You’re happy now, right?”

For once in his life, Yohei didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Yes.” He smiled as he knelt.

The door slid open as Sakane walked in. “Oh, hey, dad. What’s…” He stopped and saw Yohei’s outstretched arm, welcoming Sakane home, a broad smile on his father’s face. That same smile traced over Sakane’s as he ran over, hiding in his father’s arms.

Sakane felt his dad’s arm close in around him, and instead of the fear he used to feel when his mother was around, he felt completely at peace when his father hugged him. It was still something the boy would have to get used to, but as of now, Sakane was happy as well as Yohei.

_Yes… Yes, I’m very happy…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 98% of the chapter titles are all in memes/vines
> 
> also sorry for the shorter chapter ajdhfg i've had it ready for a while but i've been so busy :^)
> 
> thanks for reading!! ♥

**Author's Note:**

> so! i have too many oc's and not enough time and i reeeaaaallly just wanted to post yohei's fic. he's emotionally constipated and my dumb son and i love him so much fjasdk


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